Navigation Menu Best Practices

Why it Matters

Users shouldn’t feel overwhelmed by too many choices. Cognitive overload slows decision-making and increases bounce rates.

Best Practices

• Limit top-level menu items to 5–7 main categories. Items should not wrap into two rows on desktop view.
• Group related pages logically, putting yourself in the user’s shoes.
• For optimal usability, a menu dropdown should ideally contain 5-8. There’s no hard number here for minimum or maximum, but keeping the list short ensures it’s easy to read, scan, and navigate without overwhelming the user.

UX Tip

Think how real users would naturally categorize your content from their perspective, not how your content is structurally organized.

Why it Matters

Website menus should instantly answer: “What will I find if I click this?”

Best Practices

• Use clear, familiar labels (e.g., “Pricing” instead of “Investment Options”).
• Avoid internal jargon.
• Use action- or outcome-oriented labels when possible (e.g., “Get Started,” “View Plans”).
• Avoid vague labels like “Solutions” or unless paired with a dropdown.

UX Tip

Think about your primary audience with the “5-second rule” in mind. Put yourself in their shoes. If they looked at your menu briefly, what would they expect each menu item to contain?

Why it Matters

A user should get a basic understanding of the most important pieces of your unit based on your menu.

Best Practices

• Organize your website by priorities: What are the most valuable things users will need to access quickly? Think: Why are they here? (e.g., services they can use, programs they can participate in, funding they can receive)
• Group content by user intent
  • Avoid organizing the website by reporting structure. Instead, prioritize the mind of your user. Keep the primary audience in mind as they’re the ones who will be using the website.
• Your menu should mirror your website information architecture (how your pages are nested in relation to one another – their URL structure).

UX Tip

Again, put yourself in your website user’s shoes. What are the top three reasons they would come to your website, and how can you prioritize those clearly in the top menu?

Why it Matters

Choosing between a left navigation and top navigation isn’t just a design preference — it’s a strategic UX decision based on content complexity, user behavior, and task type.

Another consideration is the mobile experience as all navigations collapse into a hamburger menu on the ohio.edu mobile website — specifically, left menus collapse underneath top menus on mobile.

Best Practices

• Left navigations work better when:
  • Your site has a specific subsection or deep hierarchy (e.g., handbook)
  • Your content needs persistent context (maintain visible structure, helping users understand where they are and what else exists)
• Ideal for: Handbooks, documentation/archive sites
• What to avoid:
  • Don’t duplicate section(s) already present in your top menu. This confuses the user as they won’t know where to go and will struggle to differentiate options.
  • Don’t create a left menu for a large subsite that should have a separate top menu instead (e.g., an entire department within a college).

Examples That Work Well

• Faculty Handbook
• Doctoral Internship Psychology Clinical Training Requirements
• Financial Aid Cost of Attendance